Hirst

Introduction

One of the Great Expectations that many people incorrectly have about online learning is that you simply enroll in a course, dial up your Internet Service Provider and bingo! Youre away like a Melbourne Cup winner. Sounds good, but its a very long way from reality.

This issue Id like to tell you about Peter and Paul, lecturers at one of Australias most prestigious distance learning universities. Of course names have been changed to preserve their privacy (and prevent me from getting into trouble?).

When I enrolled in an online tertiary program, back in the technologically dim, dark days of 1996 the enrolment process consisted of completing a three or four page document and submitting it to the university by email. At that stage the system had not been geared up to handle script languages and forms submitted direct from the university Internet site. After a few days of watchful waiting, I received an email reply from the university administration staff advising me that the fees had been charged against my credit card and I had been enrolled. In the message were my student number, password and a link to the online learning site. Id need to go there by the commencement date, the email said, and log-in to my personalized start page.

Getting Started

The log-in procedure went fairly smoothly. On the screen in front of me were links to the two subjects in which I had enrolled. I spent some time exploring each link, both of which took me, as I had expected, to a subject home page with further links to a welcome from my lecturing staff, a list of other people enrolled in the subject, reading lists, tools, chat room, and a few other things such as a page from which I could submit assignments. My experience had begun and even at my mature age, I was very excited to be back at university.

Ive been an adult educator for around 20 years, so it wasnt only the subjects content in which I was interested. I was also interested to discover how the topics would be delivered.

My first action was to send an email to my lecturers and fellow students introducing myself. This was requested by both lecturers and it was a welcome step because I knew there would be numbers of other interesting people whom I wanted to get to know. Replies came back from the United States, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, and even Australia. Exciting stuff. More than a few of the respondents were adult educators like me, so we had much in common.

After a day or so I started receiving emails from people asking me whether I had managed to download this or that file; had I been able to initiate a chat session. It seemed that others, either less technologically capable, or unluckier than I had run into difficulty with the technology and were even having trouble getting a response from our lecturers. Of course, I helped where I could by emailing copies of files, suggesting work-arounds to overcome problems, and so on. And I made mental notes about the experience and eventually realized that most of the problems were linked to the one subject. Why was this I asked? A week or two later I got my answer. Peter was managing delivery of his subject while Paul had abdicated.

Management versus Abdication

As I became more experienced with my online learning program, I realized that Peter was using what could be considered better practice. Paul on the other hand was probably receiving a salary under false pretences. All the jokes about academics and permanency of tenure came to mind as did my recollection of my early days in teacher training where we had been drilled in classroom management. I thought about numerous classroom management issues I had faced during my career including the miscreant students, the idle, the too talkative, and the stunningly attractive, but very young girl who had asked me to take her to a motel during our lunch break.

I knew that if classroom management was important when you taught in a classroom, it must be doubly important if you are teaching students you cannot see. And of course it is. Here are the contrasts.

The first thing Peter did after the enrolment date closed was to email all enrolled students with a questionnaire about their computer and email systems. At first it seemed unnecessary, but now I know it was what every online educator should do. He sought information which would help him identify those who may have been at risk because their technology was old or who could not reply to his message. Anyone who hadnt replied within 48 hours he telephoned or faxed. Only when he was satisfied that everyone could access the technology and be involved in the group, did he continue with our program. When you emailed Peter you received a prompt, courteous reply usually the following day (time zones affect response times of course).

Paul didnt bother to check if anyone could do anything and we rarely heard from him. He attended several moderated chat sessions throughout the semester, but may as well have stayed at home. When we emailed him, it was unusual to get a prompt response and too often we never received a response. Telephoning him was equally disappointing usually resulting in leaving a message that probably wouldnt be answered.

Our chat sessions with Peter were much more creative and worthwhile. Before commencing the session Peter would pose several questions to be addressed so we didnt just waffle. Sometimes he would ask a specific student to address certain aspects of the question. If someone could not attend, he made sure it was not because they werent aware of the timing, or simply couldnt get their system to work. When someone at a chat session seemed reluctant to get involved, he would engineer involvement.

When you submitted an assignment to Peter he usually responded within a reasonable time with encouragement and commentary about how you could improve your next assignment. At the end of the day, the difference between the two lecturers was that Peter was managing his online classroom while Paul had abdicated most of his responsibility. His approach seemed very much a sink or swim approach and I was surprised that he could retain his job if this was the best he could do.

Conclusion

At the end of semester evaluation I provided truthful feedback about Pauls lackluster performance and praised Peters excellent efforts. Im sure most of the other students would have done the same.

Classroom management is essential in any learning environment whether its face-to-face or online. Im sure that many of the criticisms of online learning occur because of the feeling of isolation and indifference students sometimes suffer. All of us like to feel we are important enough to warrant attention from our lecturers, especially when we pay serious money to undergo courses.

The crystal clear message for online learning providers is that if you dont manage every aspect of the process, eventually your business will fail as prospective clients vote with their computers and go somewhere they feel they are getting value for money and actually learning.

If you provide online learning, the best thing you can do for yourself is enroll in one of your programs and find out if the your experience is congruent with your marketing hype.

Copyright Robin Henry 2005.

Robin Henry is an educator, human resources specialist and Internet marketer whose firm, Desert Wave Enterprises, helps individuals and businesses improve their performance by using smart processes, smart technology and personal development. He has a number of tertiary qualifications including a Master of Education degree majoring in education technology and online learning. He lives at Alice Springs In Central Australia.

Visit Desert Wave Enterprises.

More people today are discovering the healthy benefits of drinking a delicious, refreshing smoothie for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Instead of soda pop at your next meal or diet cola, consider whipping up a smoothie made with fresh fruit, yogurt, skim milk or juice.

Smoothies will give you a real energy boost and are healthier for you than cola or soda.

Online you will find recipes for popular smoothies like: banana smoothie, blueberry smoothie, chocolate smoothie, jello smoothie, mango smoothie, peanut butter smoothie, strawberry smoothie, tofu smoothie, and tropical smoothie.

Here is a sample of the kinds of smoothie recipes you will see:

Banana Creamsicle Smoothie with bananas and orange juice

Blueberry Pineapple Smoothie with blueberries and pineapple orange juice

Chocolate Raspberry Smoothie with raspberries and chocolate syrup

Virgin Margarita Smoothie with lime jello and pineapple

Mango Smoothie with fresh peaches and mango chunks

Classic Peanut Butter Smoothie with bananas and creamy peanut butter

Strawberry Pear and Peach Smoothie with fresh strawberries, peaches and pears

Honey Tofu Smoothie with bananas, tofu and honey

Hawaiian Holiday Smoothie with peach mango tofu and pineapple

You can find these refreshing smoothie recipes and more with just the click of your mouse. Soon youll be enjoying the wonderful health benefits of drinking these delicious nutritious smoothies.

About The Author

Copyright 2004

Donna Monday is a contribution author at: http://www.1st-milkshake-n-smoothie-recipes.com

If you are trying to come up with the perfect gift for a friend or family member, consider giving them cat note cards. Cat note cards are a perennial favorite for those who want to treat their animal-loving friends to a special gift. They make a great gift for the holidays or for someones birthday.

In this age of rushed emails and instant messages, your loved one will fully appreciate a handwritten note on a cat note card. This sort of personalized greeting is sure to warm the heart of those to whom you are writing. You can tell them "hi", or you can ask them how they are doing. Regardless of what you want to say via cat note cards, they always make for a charming and caring means of communication.

Another way to use cat note cards is to send them in a pack as a gift to someone. They most commonly come in sets of ten. Better yet, you are almost guaranteed to find cat note cards that come in the common size of 4 1/8" x 6 1/8". This allows you to include photos of you, a family member, or your pet neatly within the cat note cards.

The fact that cat note cards feature an interesting photo or artists' drawing of a cat is only half the fun. Much like traditional note cards that lack any artwork, cat note cards are entirely blank on one side. The main reason for this is so that people can write what they want on it.

The blank side can be used to send a special birthday wish. Or, if your recipient chooses, they can use the blank side to send a thoughtful holiday greeting. This rather makes cat note cards a gift that keeps on giving: you send someone a pack of cards and they end up sending them out to their loved ones.

There are several other uses for cat note cards. They can function as a reminder of a particular event or date. People often send them out when they want to make sure that others are aware of a rapidly approaching party or anniversary.

One of the most typical uses of cat note cards is simply as a decorative item in the house. They make superb refrigerator decorations. Cat note cards are also used on bookshelves and even occasionally hung on Christmas trees.

It is no surprise that veterinarians often use cat note cards to alert pet owners of an impending visit. On a sad note, cat note cards are also used to announce the passing of a loved pet. Hopefully, you will not need to use cat note cards for this purpose anytime soon.

Whether you want to scribble a note on one or send a pack of them to someone as a gift, cat note cards are an endearing way to communicate with people. Forget sending out mass emails this year - surprise someone you know or care for by sending them a special message via a cat note card.

Gift Ideas For Cat Lovers has an incredibly charming selection of cat note cards - as well as many other wonderful gifts for cat lovers.

Worn brake pads can adversely impact your ability to bring your car to a halt. This can be especially dangerous in an emergency situation when adequately working brakes are a must to help you stop your car promptly. There are some telltale signs of pending brake problems; do you know what they are? Awareness of a problem is the key to avoiding potential harmful consequences; lets examine some well known warning signs.

Signs of pending brake trouble include the following: